Aftermath
by UnderTheLights16
Summary: A story I wrote way back when the season 4 finale spoilers were out. Yeah the real episode hadn't come out when I wrote this, but i decided to post it now in honor of OUAT coming back. There are CS moments but if you don't like Neal then don't read it. It's not SwanFire but it's about how Emma sees Neal right after becoming the dark one.


**Disclaimer: I did not and do not wish to change the ending to season 4. I wrote this before the finale had come out and I wrote it based on the spoilers that were appearing way back around March/April.**

The wind got stronger. The vortex-like magic cloud seemed to get bigger and bigger. Regina wasn't going to last much longer.

"Regina!" Robin yelled. He ran to save Regina once more and yet again he was pushed back by a force.

"What can we do?" Emma yelled. She did not want to see Regina being swallowed by the cloud of darkness.

Regina was shaking. The magic within was being sucked out of her and Regina was being killed by whatever this was. If this continued who knows what could happen.

"There's nothing you can do. Just go!" Regina shouted.

Emma pushed herself closer towards her and shouted back.

"No. I'm not taking that as an answer. We worked hard for you to get your happy ending and we can't just let it end like this. I have to do something."

As David heard this he knew exactly what Emma was planning on doing.

"No!" He yelled.

Emma turned to face her parents.

"Do you remember what you said to me once? Sometimes we take the hard path because we're heroes!"

She turned back to Regina.

"If I switch places with you I could absorb up the power with the dagger and you could escape."

Regina looked at Emma as if she was insane. Was she really going to be risking her life for her?

"What? Are you crazy? No. I'm not letting you do that!"

Emma shook her head. "I'm the savior. My purpose is to get everyone, all of you, your happy endings." She stepped even closer and Killian was in the background not believing what was happening.

"Emma please!" Killian yelled and reached out for her hand. He had to to stop her. She couldn't risk her life. She couldn't just leave.

Emma's eyes were filled with tears. She was about to leave everything behind and Killian's face of sadness was not making it easier. He took her hand and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, Killian, but I have to do this."

"But you're my happy ending." He cupped her face feeling that his moments with her was slowly diminishing.

Barely being able to speak, Emma replied.

"I know." She moved his hand to her chest.

"And you are part of my happy ending too. I love you...but I am the savior and I need to do what a savior does."

"No Emma I-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Emma had pushed him away and raised the dagger. The darkness was now moving towards the dagger and Emma. It set Regina,who ran into Robins arms, free. Everyone stared in horror and they witnessed darkness, light, wind and magic explosions surround Emma. Robin struggled to keep Regina in his arms who couldn't believe Emma had saved her life and wanted to do the same. After another huge flash of magic, Emma had disappeared leaving the dagger behind.

Killian dropped to his knees and let out a broken cry "EMMA!"

Mary Margaret sobbed into David's shoulder as tears too filled his eyes.

Robin hugged Regina tightly who was still in shock.

Emma was gone. They might possibly never see her again and not a single one of them was taking it lightly.

Emma struggled to open her eyes. The room was too bright. Where was she?

When she was finally able to open her eyes she realized she was in an empty white room. Nothing, but white. In a distance she heard her name.

"Emma!"

In confusion Emma turned around then slowly smiled when she saw who it was.

"Neal?" She ran to hug him and he welcomed her in his arms. He almost blended in with the room with his white button down shirt and white pants.

"I've missed you." Neal said still hugging her.

Emma didn't want to let go. She hadn't seen him in so long and she had missed him so much, but she let go to talk to him.

"I've missed you too." Emma looked around once more.

"Does this mean I'm...dead?"

Neal shook his head. "Not really. It's more of an in between world. But that doesn't matter. We need to get you back."

"What? I can't. That's impossible."

Neal laughed. He led her towards a single white bench Emma hadn't seen before. They sat down as Neal continued.

"When you're the savior anything is possible. You can go back. You just have to be willing to go back."

Emma reasoned.

"But if I do back then the darkness that I stopped will come back won't it?"

Neal nodded.

"I know you can find a way to fight it away instead of having it take you."

"No I can't go back. That's risking everyone's lives." Emma replied. If she came back with the darkness who knows what she could do as the new Dark One.

Neal titled his head looked at Emma with warm eyes.

"Why'd you do it Emma?"

Emma felt a lump in throat.

"I had to save everyone's happy endings. There wasn't a choice. I had to become the Dark One. If I hadn't let that thing, darkness, whatever absorb into me and the dagger it would had killed Regina and probably destroyed the whole town."

"But what about your happy ending?" Neal asked.

"I-I guess I don't really get one. I mean you didn't get a happy ending either." Emma said reminding him that he had sacrificed himself for the town without having a chance to truly be happy.

"Maybe not while living, but I can still have my happy ending."

Emma looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Neal smiled. "I may be dead, but part of my happy ending was always to see you happy. Both you and Henry. That's all I could ever want."

Emma had tears in her eyes, but didn't say anything. Instead she just started down at her hands.

"Em, you need to go back." Neal said gently.

"I would love for you to be here with me and keeping me company, but we need to get you back home. Your family needs you."

Emma wiped her tears and managed to smile.

"You always seem to be bringing me home. "

"Because your home is where you'll be happy. And right now you're not happy and neither is your family."

Neal waved his hand and the wall in front of them let them see a scene.

Emma squinted to see and realized it was back on Earth.

She saw her parents crying in each other's arms. Killian was on his knees with tears falling out of his eyes. She saw Regina slowly walk over to the dagger and as soon as she touched it she too started crying.

David wiped his tears and announced.

"We have to go home." He picked up the dagger viewing Emma's name on it. "And keep this in a safe place." He added.

Regina shook her head.

"What will I tell Henry?"

David sighed. "We'll have to tell him the truth. Come on, everyone."

He helped Mary Margaret stabilize herself and Robin held onto Regina as they all slowly walked away. Killian didn't follow. He was still on his knees and David walked over and touched him on the shoulder.

"Killian. Let's go home."

Killian lifted his shoulder trying to get away from David's touch.

"No." He said quietly.

"Killian, come on." David continued and tried getting him up, but Killian refused to very spot Emma left. She had to come back. It wasn't true she couldn't be gone. Killian repeated the memory of Emma disappearing and continued staring at the black pavement hoping Emma might reappear.

"Just leave me here, David." He yelled. David turned to look at Robin who nodded. Together David and Robin lifted Killian and as they did Killian tried breaking free.

"NO. No. EMMA! EMMA!" He continued yelling as David and Robin dragged him away.

The scene faded away and Emma's hands were holding tightly to the edge of the bench. Her heart felt tight. Emotion was taking over as she watched Killian's desperation. How much she wanted to jump through the screen and just hold him.

Neal noticed Emma's sudden change in emotion and gave her a hug for comfort then slowly and softly said.

"Not to mention Henry. He also needs you."

Emma stared at Neal suddenly remembering that her son was now left without both his biological parents and that now he was going through yet another hardship.

"Henry. I hope he's okay."

Neal nodded.

"If there's one thing I know about our son is that he doesn't give up easily and I have a feeling he's doing the same now."

The scene on the wall changed again and Emma recognized her parents apartment. Everyone walked through.

Henry was there waiting at the table for all of them to come home. As soon as they entered the door he went to hug his grandparents and Regina. Then he stopped to look around.

"Where's my Mom?" He said waiting by the door.

Everyone exchanged sad glances, but no one dared said anything.

"Is she doing something? Where is she?"

Regina stepped forward and hugged him.

"Henry, your mother...umm she...she just...sacrificed herself to save the town. She's gone."

Henry let go of Regina.

"What? No!"

"We tried to stop her but she-" David started.

"No. She's the savior. She can't just die. There has to be a way to get her back."

"She may not be dead. The dagger has her name. She must be the dark one but we already tried to bring her back and it didn't work" David explained.

Henry kept quiet. Staring only at the floor.

"Henry, there's nothing-" Regina started.

"No. My dad sacrificed himself for this town and we couldn't save him. Now my mom sacrificed herself for this town. Both of them did it to save all of us. Well now it's time for us to do something. Because my mom is the savior and there has to be a way to save the savior. I know. And I'm going to find it."

Henry surprised everyone with the firmness and determination in his voice. He was no longer the little boy they watched grow. Now he was a young man, taking on the leadership of his mom and pushing them to do something.

Emma stood up and touched the wall as if to touch Henry.

"Henry. I haven't been away from you for more than a day and I already miss you."

She stared at her son as he convinced everyone else that they'd find Emma.

"I miss my buddy too." Neal sighed.

"I know and he misses you." Emma said quietly sitting back down next to Neal.

"You know he's never going to stop until he finds a way to get you back."

Emma sighed and leaned her head towards Neal glad that she had a friend with her.

"I know, but I just can't face them with this darkness. What if I hurt them?"

"When my dad become the Dark One he was ruthless. He started killing people left and right. The darkness completely took over him and he was never the same. But you're different Emma. You are able to do the right thing. You know letting the darkness take you is a bad thing and most importantly, Emma, you're a fighter. I know you can fight this." Neal said reassuring her.

"I can't"

"Yes you can. You just have to believe." Neal insisted.

"You sound like Henry."

This made Neal smile. He stood up and made Emma do the same.

"Think about Henry. Think about your parents. Think about Killian. They all love you and you love them. You have to get back to them. You don't have to face this darkness alone. They'll help you." Neal told her.

Emma took a deep breath. She did as she was told and imagined her family. Smiling and waiting for in open arms. She needed them and they needed her. Neal was right. As long as she fought the darkness and had her family to help her get rid of it everything would be okay. She was ready to go back.

"Okay. I can do it." Emma said bravely.

"Good." He gave Emma a long hug.

"Give Henry a tight hug when you get back and…tell him I miss him."

Emma nodded.

"Okay. So just keep thinking about everyone you love and how you want to be with them. Fight off the power that you're going to feel with the love."

"Always remember your happiness Emma." Was the last thing she heard before she disappeared.

Back in Storybrooke the first one who noticed her was Henry who ran to her.

"I knew you couldn't have just left." He hugged her. "Where were you?"

She laughed. "Can't wait to tell you.I think you'd love to hear."

Her parents were next who barely let her talk because they were both squeezing her in hugs.

Killian stood behind them patiently waiting and as soon as they let go he to ran towards her and scooped her in a hug.

"I thought I was never going to see you again. I love you, Emma. "

"I know." Emma said and kissed him extremely happy to have him back in her arms.

She took in all the love trying to ignore the dark thoughts. It was a lot harder as the darkness kept fighting back. But her family also kept showing their love for her.

"Now there's something you need to help me fix."

Everyone nodded.

"Let's go get this darkness out of me."

Graham walked into the room where Neal was.

"I thought you might be here." He said as he saw Neal at the end of the room.

He looked at the scene with him. He saw as Emma was being hugged by all of her family.

"So she's found Tallahassee?" Graham asked.

"Almost. There's something in the way right now." Neal said hoping deeply that they'd all find a way to take away the darkness.

 **I miss Graham too. But anyways review if you'd like…unless it's hate reviews. That's what tumblr hate tags are for.**


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